Residents say post office in Church Hill is unreliable

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) -NBC12′s On Your Side Investigators are looking into complaints about a Church Hill post office that allegedly will close randomly.

One man, who did not want to be identified, says the North 25th Street office closes on random days for no reason, and his mail isn’t getting to him.

“For about the past week, the post office has not been open to its full hours sometimes, actually most times, with no notes on the door saying that it’s closed or when anybody wanted to get their mail,” he said.

On Friday, the doors to the post office are finally open after many who live in the area say they’ve been closed off and on for the past week.

The man who spoke with NBC12 says the post office’s sporadic closures affect his business.

“We’re a small business, so if I don’t get my invoices and don’t pay them on time, it could affect my credit, and if I don’t receive my checks from customers, then it could affect making payroll,” he said. “There’s a big trickledown effect that I don’t think the USPS really understands.”

Other community members who live and work in the area say it’s an issue they hope the carrier can get under control.

The problem isn’t only in the East End but across the whole state. This week, Senator Tim Kaine sent a letter to USPS officials to press them on why these persistent issues are occurring and how they will fix them.

“When it gets to medicines and social security checks, and veterans benefits checks, when it gets to people are supposed to get bills that they pay on time to keep their credit rating strong or to avoid a foreclosure, and then they don’t get the bills ‘til quite late, and then they start running into problems with their credit or other things, this late mail delivery has a huge impact on people’s lives,” Sen. Kaine said.

Senator Kaine specifically asked USPS about the staffing shortages after the pandemic and how much of it is still a problem.

He also asked if there are region-specific bottlenecks and, if so, how to address them. The senator also asks what he and other lawmakers can do to reduce the issues.

“I’ve been able to run my business through all of this, I have staffing shortages too, but I don’t just close up and not give my customers the services that they deserve,” the Church Hill resident said.

NBC12 reached out to USPS for answers, and they sent this statement:

“There have been some instances recently where that location had to open late or close early due to an unforeseen staffing situation. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank customers for their understanding and continued support.”

It is worth noting that the postal service is holding job fairs every Friday in June.

That will be at USPS Richmond Job Fair, 1801 Brook Road in Richmond, on June 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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